Over the last few games I have been closely observing the play of Joakim Noah because I didn't want to make any rash decisions following his historic performance last Thursday night. Part of me wanted to say it was just a fluke, but 23 points, 21 rebounds, 11 blocks, shooting over 65% from the field has never been done before. Part of me wanted to put him in the conversation of elite centers, but he's never showed this kind of dominance at any point in his collegiate or professional career. A bigger sample size was needed to make an informed opinion.
To my surprise Noah followed up his monster game with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks against Brooklyn and 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block against Indiana. On the surface those kind of numbers certainly warrant consideration for a spot on the All NBA 3rd team roster. Statistics don't always tell the whole story however. Steph Curry went 11 for 13 from the 3 point line last week. Does that make him the best shooter in the league? Kevin Durant leads the league in scoring. Does that make him the best player in the NBA? Is stopping Joakim Noah really the focal point of any team's defensive scheme?
I'm not hating on the guy, but I'm not ready to build my franchise around him either. Noah's always been a high energy player that gives you maximum effort every night and gets the most out of his ability. His passion and intensity for the game fires up his teammates and keeps the home crowd engaged. These are intangibles many people take for granted when assessing the impact a player has on the game yet he doesn't scare me in the least.
My final analysis? Joakim Noah is a good player that had a great game. I can't see him duplicating his tremendous accomplishment again in the future. That being said he's a warrior you would love to have on your team, but not someone you should expect to carry you night in and night out. Your thoughts?
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